The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group works to help people whose rights have been violated and investigates cases involving such abuse, as well as assessing the overall human rights situation in Ukraine. The Group also seeks to develop awareness of human rights issues through public events and its various publications

The decision by the Spanish Congress of Deputies to issue a statement on Holodomor [the Famine of 1932-1933] is to be welcomed. So is the concern of very many individuals all over the world that the memory of millions starved to death deliberately be finally honoured. Just before this statement was released by the Ukrainian World Congress, we learned of the decision from Steve Komarynsky who runs a UK-based site on Holodomor (http://www.holodomor.org.uk/Survivors/tabid/60/Default.aspx). He, in turn, had been notified by a Portuguese History teacher who also believes that the world must remember

SPAINS PARLIAMENT ISSUES STATEMENT ON UKRAINIAN FAMINE 1932-33

On May 30, 2007 the Congress of Deputies of Spain issued a Statement honoring the memory of the victims of the Ukrainian Great Famine (Holodomor) 1932-33. The Statement was issued in connection with the upcoming 75th anniversary of the tragedy. The draft had been initiated and submitted by the Convergence and Unification party.

The final text of the Statement honors the millions of innocent victims of the tragedy; remembers the totalitarian brutality of the Stalin regime, which violated human rights and brought about the death of millions of victims; condemns the disdain for human life and human rights which characterized totalitarian regimes – Stalins and Hitlers; lends support to efforts on the part of the Government of Ukraine for international recognition of the Ukrainian famine; stresses that an independent and democratic Ukraine is the best guarantor that a similar atrocity does befall the Ukrainian people. At the conclusion of the Statement the Congress calls upon the government of Ukraine to deepen its cooperation with the European Union and neighboring countries, especially Russia.

According to Ukraines Embassy in Madrid, the original text submitted by the Convergence and Unification party included a declaration that “the artificial Ukrainian famine 1932-33 was a genuine genocide in accordance with the definition of the Convention of Nations” (the drafters meant to say United Nations Genocide Convention of 1948.) However, representatives of Spains ruling Socialist Workers Party insisted that provision be deleted. Also the original draft did not include the final provision about deepening cooperation with the EU and neighboring countries, especially Russia. For some reason this provision was inserted by the opposition Peoples Party which argued its necessity due to the lack of a binding agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation regarding lines of energy transport. Its not clear how this is related to the Great Famine of 1932-33.

Nonetheless, the Statement of Spains Congress of Deputies is significant as another step in the continuing process of seeking international recognition of the Great Famine 1932-33. The credit for this belongs to the personnel of Ukraines Embassy in Madrid and the assistance of the new Ukrainian-Spanish communities. Stronger draft statements which include language about “genocide” have been submitted by the Ukrainian-Spanish communities on regional levels and are awaiting resolution. Spains Congress of Deputies is the tenth parliament to have passed a resolution or statement in this matter. Others are: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and United States of America.